Washing and wringing machine



F. M. CASE. WASHING AND WRINGING MACH|NE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, I920. 1,4105652, Y Patented Mar- 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WINK? lnvenfi or: Fracis M Case F. M. CASE.- WASHING AND wmwame MACHINE.APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1920. 1,410,65g, Patented. Mar. 28, 1922..

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

lnvendor; Francis M.Cas,

UNHTED STATES Parent @FFHCE.

FRANCIS M. CASE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T

THE FOOTE-BURT COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WASHING AN D WRINGING MACHINE.

* Application filed May 5,

To all whom it may concern:

- type referred to. and

Beit known that I, FRANCIS M. CAsE, a citizen of the- United States,residin at Cleveland, inthe county of 'Cuyahoga, tate of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Washing and WringingMachines, of which the to owing is a specification.

The present invention relates to power driven washing and wringingmachines and particularly to such machines of the type comprising one ora number of suction cups or bells for washing which are reciprocatedvertically and at the same time given a step by step rotary motionaround the tub containing the material to be washed, and a suitablewringer for wringing the material after it is washed. In general, thepower shaft for the washing mechanism and the wringer of such a machineis driven by a small electric motor and in the pres ent instance I haveillustrated such an arrangement but it will be understood that myinvention is not necessarily limited thereto, nor is it in some aspectslimited to the specific type of washing machine re-v ferred to.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved structure andarrangement in a washing and wrin ing machine of the For a considerationof what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed tothe accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a central sectional view of a washing machineembodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view of: part of theoperating mechanism 1n a different position from that shown in Fig. 1.Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are views of details, Figs. 3, 4 and 5 being on anenlarged scale; Fig. 7 .is a side elevation of the machine,

part of it being shown in section at a right Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 379,161.

cation for having the gear casings and motor bolted thereto as willappear hereinafter. There are preferably three posts13 and two of themextend down below'the frame as indicated at 14 to form supportng legsfor the machine. The third post is supported at its lower end-in asocket 15, Fig. 7 on the top of a gear casing and dlrect ly under it isa third leg 16 for the machine. The gear casing comprises a top portion17 preferably formed integral with base ring 11 and a bottom portion 18which is suitably bolted to top portion 17 and has a socket 19 toreceive the upper end of leg 16. The bottom portion 18 of the gearcasing has an open side which faces inwardly and is closed by a wall 20of a gear and clutch casing 21 which is bolted to base plate 11 asindicated at 22. The bottom casing portion 18 has a projection 18 onwhich casing 21 rests and to which it is secured by bolt 23. Carried bythe casing wall 20 is a bearing 24 in which is located one end of adriving shaft 25. The end of driving shaft 25 projects beyond bearing 24and hasfixed thereon a bevel pinion 26 which meshes with a bevel gear 27on the lower end of a wringer driving shaft 28. VVringer shaft 28 xtendsthrough the tubular post 13 which isdirectly over leg 16 and at itsupper end is provided with a coupling member 29 by means of which it iscoupled to the driving shaft of a wringer. The particular wringerstructure forms no part of the present invention and hence is notillustrated. It will be understood that any suitable wringer may be usedand preferablyit will be pivoted on the top of post 13 through whichshaft 28 extends, so it may swing in a horizontal plane and will beprovided with a suitable reversing mechanism, so it may be run in eitherdirection or stopped. WVith this arrangement it will be noted that thewringer is supported directly over and by leg 16 so that it has a firmsupport and that a single tube serves for supporting the wringer,housing the driving :shaft for it, and also to make up a part of thewashing machine frame. 7

In the wall of casing 21 opposite wall 20 is a bearing 30 (Figs. 7 and8) in which is mounted a short, hollow shaft 31 for driving the movingparts of the washing machine, this shaft being hereinafter termed thewashing machine shaft. The outer end of shaft 31 extends beyond bearingand on such end is fastened a crank arm 32. The other end of drivingshaft 25 is located in hollow washing machine shaft 31 which forms abearing for it and is provided with a shoulder 33 which engages the'endof shaft 31. Hollow shaft 31 has a shoulder 34 which engages the innerend of bearings 30. Fixed on driving shaft 25 with one end flusli withshoulder 33 is. a worm wheel 35, the same being located at about thecenter of casing 21. On shaft 25, between the .hub

of worm wheel 35 and casing wall 20 is a spacing sleeve 36, and on shaft31' on the other side of worm wheel 35 is a sliding clutch member 37which is caused to turn with shaft 31 by a spline 38. As is clear from aconsideration of the arrangement, shafts 25 and 31 are independentlyrotatable and are both fixed against axial movement.

Clutch member 37 is adapted to connect and disconnect driving shaft 25to and from washing machine shaft 31 and to this end it is provided withpins 39, two for example, adapted to engage in holes 40 in worm wheel35. As shown in Fig. 9 the worm wheel is provided with runways 41 fordirecting pins 39 into holes 40. In Fig. 8 the clutch is shown engagedto connect shaft 25 to shaft 31. Clutch member 37 is moved by a crankarm 42 carried on the inner end of a shaft 43 and provided with a pin 44located in a groove 45 in clutch member 37. Shaft 43 is rotatablymounted .in gear casing 21 and fixedon its outer end is a lever arm 46which is connected to a crank 47 on the lower end of rod 48 by means ofa link 49. On the upper end of rod 48 is a handle 50 for turning it. Asis obvious the clutch can be engaggd and disengaged by turning handle 500d 48 is arranged to have a small amount of axial movement and is heldyieldingly upward by a spring 51. In the under ed e of top rim 12 arenotches 52 with which 3. ug 52 on handle 50 engages to fasten the clutchin either position, rod 48 moving axially'against the action of spring51 to'permit the handle to move from one notch to the other. -Meshing'with worm wheel 35 is a worm 53 carried on the end of a shaft 54. Shaft54 has a bearing in casing 21 as shown at. 55, Fig. 2, and is connectedthrough a suitable coupling 56 to the shaft of an electric motor 57which is bolted to the underside of base ring 11 and web 11. Coupling 56is of a type which. can

be readily disconnected such as a jaw conpling. In the motor shaft is acentrifu al slip coupling 56 which is adapted to slip in case ofoverload on the motor, such coupliriglbeing of any suitable type.

en motor 57 is running, driving shaft 25 and wringer shaft 28 will becontinuously rotated, and washing machine shaft 31 may .be connected toand'disconnected from shaft 25 at will by means of clutch member 37.

Referring now particularly to Sheet one of the drawing, at the center oftub 10 is fixed an upwardly extending tube 60 through which extends atubular shaft 61 carrying at its upper end a yoke '62 on which aresuction clips or bells 63 for washing. As many cups 63 may be providedas found desirable, two being shown in the present instance. Tubularshaft 61 has a sliding fit with tube 60 at the upper and lower ends oftube 60 and at the upper end is a sleeve nut i 64 and packing glandwhich make a water- 'tight joint at such point, which point issufliciently high to be above thenorm-al level of the water in the tub.In the lower end of tubular shaft 61 is a solid shaft 65 which projectssome distance. below the end of shaft 61 and is fastened to it by a pin66 (Fig. 5) which serves also to fasten a collar 67 in place on shaft65,-tubu1ar shaft 61 terminating in a recess in collar 67. On the lowerend of shaft 65 is fixed acollar 68 and I resting on it and rotatable onshaft 65 is a sleeve 69. rovided with an arm 70 on the end of which isapin 71 and with a lug 72 in which is located a pawl 73 which is 'pressedby a spring 74 into engagement with the teeth on a ratchet wheel 75which isfixed on shaft 65, just above sleeve 69. On shaft 65', betweenratchet wheel 75 and col lar 67 is a loose sleeve 76 providedwith a pairof trunnions 77 on which is pivoted a link comprising two plates 78spaced apart by lugs 79, Fig. 4, formed integral with plates 78 andfastened together by a rivet 80 which extends through the plates andlugs. Plates 78 are provided with trunnions 81. Depending from baseplate 11 is a bracket 82, Figs. 1 and 2, on the end of which is pivotedone end of a bent operating lever 83. Lever 83 is preferably made of twospaced strips as best shown in Fig. 3 and at its other end these stripsare spread apart to form furcations which have-open-' ings through whichtrunnions 81 extend. Operating leve'r'83 is thus pivoted at one end tobracket 82 and at the other end it is pivoted to vertical shafts 61 and65 through the link comprising plates 78. Fastened to one side of lever83 is an arm 84 having a hole in its end through which pin 71 projects.Operating lever 83 is connected to crank arm 32 by a link 85 which atone end is pivoted to the end of crank arm 32 and at the other end ispivoted to lever 83 at a point between its ends. It will be noted thatthe sleeve 69 which carries pawl 73 is at the lower end of shaft 65 andthat sleeve 76 to which the main operating lever 83 is connected isabove sleeve 69 and ratchet wheel 75. This arrangement serves to bringthe operating lever up as close as possible to the and out of the way. Aspring 86 is provided to counterbalance the operating lever 85 andassociated parts, such spring having one end connected to lever 83 andthe other to rib 11 In operation, when the motor is running and thewashing machine shaft 31 is clutched to power shaft 25, shaft 31 will berotated thus: rotating crank arm 32, which through link 85 willoscillate operating lever 83 on its pivot on bracket 82. The end ofoperatin lever 83 which is pivotall-y connected to s aft 65 will movedown and up in the arc of a circle thus reciprocating shafts 61, and 65and suction cups 63.". The extent of this reciprocating movemeilt isindicated by Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 1 shdwing the parts at the upper limitof their movements and Fig. 2 showing them at the lower limit of theirmovements. 'The linliconnect'ion between operating lever 83 and. shaft65 permits the end of lever 83 to move along the arc of a circle, thelink pivoting on trunnions 77. When the parts are at the top of theirstroke as shown in Fig. 1 arm 84 is horizontal and as the parts movedownward the outer end of such arm, in moving along the arc of a circle,about the pivot point on bracket 82, turns sleeve 69 toward the left asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 and moves pawl 73 one notch in a clockwisedirection as shown in Fig. 6. On the return stroke sleeve 69 will beturned by'arm 84 in the opposite direction ratchet wheel on each upstroke.

and pawl 73 will turn ratchet wheel 75 and hence shafts 61 and 65:andsuction cups one notch. As the motor operates, therefore, the suctioncups will be continuously reciprocated and turned with a step by stepmotion, being turned by one notch of the The method of washing with amachine of this type 1s well known and needs no description.

With the above-described arrangement I obtain a washing machine andwringer op crating mechanism which is compact and in which the movingparts are brought up close to the bottom of the tub where they are outof the way and out of sight. The a1- rangement of the gearing casingsgives, a structure which comprises a minimum number of parts and whichis easy to assemble I and dismantle. It will be noted that the one gearcasing 21 carries the worm wheel 35, the clutch member 37 and the shafts25 and 31 on which they are mounted and it carries rock shaft 43 formovingclutch member 37 and also the worm 53 and shaft 54. By disengaginglink49 from lever arm 46 and link up the'shafts and in keeping themaligned. This makes the assembling of the mechanism very simple andavoids having a number of separate parts which must be nicely finishedand accurately assembled relatively to each other. In assembling themachine, all the parts carried by and in gear casing 21 may be assembledin it as a complete unit and correctly adjusted relatively to eachother. This unit may be then fastened to the frame of the machineand thelinks 49 and 85 and the motor shaft coupled up. As is obvious, none ofthese couplings requires more than ordinary accuracy. As regards thewrin'ger shaft 28 and bevel gear 27, these may have a small amount ofaxial play so that gear 27 will come into correct meshing engagementwith bevel pinion 26.

Theuse of a worm and worm wheel for getting the desired speed reductionbetween the electric motor and the cup actuating 'means is highlyadvantageous because they practically eliminate noise and vibrationwhich are so objectionable in household appliances. By preference, theworm is hard ened and ground to ensure accuracy. By 10- cating thesearts in a separate casing they may be effectively lubricated by a softgrease and the latter properly confined against leakage.

The provision of rings at the top and bottom of the tub in which thelegs are snugly seated ensures a rigid frame construction which is notliable to distortion or other in,- jury and the proper alignment of theparts is preserved. The upper ring also serves to brace the wringersupport and to properly distribute the strains, incident to the use ofthe wringer, to the frame as a whole.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof,but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means. ee

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. In a-washing and wringing machine, the combination with a framehaving a tubular spacing post, a wringer shaft therein, a tub, andwashing mechanism in the tub, of a unitary structure fixed to theunderside of the frame for driving said wringer shaft and washingmechanism, said structure comprising a gear casing, driving mechanism insaid gear casing, and means connecting said driving mechanism to saidwringer shaft and said washing mechanism, said unitary structure beingadapted to be attached to and removed from the frame as a unit.

2. In a washing and wringin machine, the combination with a frame havmga tubular spacing post, a wringer shaft therein, a tub, and washingmechanism in the tub, of a unitary structure fixed to the under side ofthe frame for driving said wringer shaft and washing mechanism,saidstructure comprising a gear casing, driving mechanism in said gearcaslng, means connecting said drlving mechanism to said wringer shaftand to said washing mechanism, said unitary structure being adapted tobe attached to and removed from the frame as a unit, and supporting legsfor said machine, one of which is located directly beneath said spacingpost.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with aframe, a tub supported therein and washing mechanism in the tub, of aunitary structure detachably connected to the under side of said frame,and through which the washing mechanism is actuated and controlled, saidstructure comprising a casing, a washing machine shaft and a power shaftjournaled in walls of said casing, a clutch for connecting them andmeans journaled in a casing wall for operating'said clutch; and meansconnecting the washing machine shaft to said washing mechanism.

4. The combination with a frame, tub

therein, washing mechanism in the tub. a

wringer shaft carried by the frame anda motor fixed beneath the frame,.of a unitary structure detachably connected to the under side ofotheframe, through'which the motor supplies power to the washing mechanismand wringer shaft, said unitary structure comprising a gearcasing, apower shaft, a washing machine shaft and a driving shaft all journaledinwalls of the casing and each having an end projecting beyond the casing,and means connecting the projecting end of said power shaft to thewringer shaft, the projecting end of the washing machine shaft to thewashing mechanism, and the driving shaft to the motor.

5. The combination with a frame, a tub therein, washing mechanism inthe'tub, a wringer shaft carried by the frame and a motor fixed beneaththe frame, of a unitary structure detachably connected to the under sideof the frame through which the motor supplies power to. the washingmechanism and wringer shaft, said unitary structure comprising a gearcasing, a power shaft, a washing machine shaft, a driving shaft, and

a clutch operating means all journaled in walls of the casing, and.means connecting the power shaft to the wringer shaft, the

washing machine shaft to the washing mech anism and the driving shafttothe motor.

side thereof, a clutch in the casing for connecting" said shaftstogether, a. vertical wringer shaft geared to the projecting end of saidpower shaft, a tube forming a part of said frame and through which saidwringer shaft extends, washing mechanism in said tub, means connectingthe washing machine shaft to said washing machine mechanism, andsupporting legs for said frame one of which is directly beneath saidframe tube.

7. In a washing machine, the combination of a frame, a tub, a verticalshaft extending up through the'bottom of the tub, suction cups earned bythe upper end of said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to said shaftadjacent its lower end, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft beneathsaid ratchet wheel and provided with a spring pressed pawl which engagesthe teeth on the ratchet wheel, a

second sleeve mounted on the lower end of vertical shaft, a washingmachine shaft hav ing a crank arm on one end thereof, a link connectingsaid crank arm to said operating lever at a point between its ends, anda power shaft for driving said washing machine shaft. a

In a washing machine, a frame comprising a top ring, a base ring and aplurality of tubes which hold them in spaced relatlon to each other, atleast two of said tubes extending beyond the frame to form supportinglegs, a wringer shaft which extends through a third tube and has a gearwheel on its lower end, a power shaft having a pinion'which meshes withsaid gear wheel, a casing for said ear wheel and pinion, which casing isfixe to said'frame, and another leg for the machine which engages saidcasing -directly below said third tube.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of May,1920.

FRANCIS, M. CASE.

